ON  A  SPURIOUS  EXTRACT  OF  JALAP.  113 
ON  A  SPURIOUS  EXTRACT  OF  JALAP. 
Br  Charles  Bullock. 
At  our  pharmaceutical  meeting  in  October  last,  the  President, 
Charles  Ellis,  called  attention  to  a  specimen  on  the  table  pur- 
porting to  be  extract  of  jalap.  The  sample  was  part  of  a  lot 
then  offering  in  considerable  quantities  in  the  New  York  mar- 
ket. A  partial  examination  of  the  extract  having  shown  that  it 
was  sophisticated,  Edward  Parrish  and  myself  were  appointed 
to  make  a  further  examination  to  ascertain  its  character. 
Preparatory  to  our  remarks  on  the  sample  under  examination, 
we  give  a  sketch  of  the  general  characteristics  of  the  active  ca- 
thartic resins  usually  found  in  the  shop,  viz  :  those  of  Jalap. 
Scammony,  Podophyllum,  and  Gamboge,  hoping  it  may  be  of 
interest  in  connexion  with  our  subject. 
RESIN  OF  JALAP. 
The  alcoholic  extract  of  jalap  consists  of  two  resins;  one 
soluble  in  ether,  and  the  other  insoluble  in  that  menstruum.  The 
medicinal  quality  of  jalap  resides  in  the  hard  resin,  which  is  in- 
soluble in  ether.  To  this  resin  Mr.  Kayser  has  given  the  name  of 
"Rhodeoretine,"  and  attributes  to  it  the  formula  C42H35O20.  In 
uniting  with  bases  it  fixes  one  equivalent  of  water,  and  becomes 
a  feeble  acid  called  "  Rhodeoretinic  acid."  Soluble  in  water 
and  alcohol,  insoluble  in  ether,  and  has  a  bitter  taste. — (Pelouze 
and  Fremy.) 
Rhodeoretinic  acid  is  not  precipitated  from  its  combination 
with  potash  by  the  stronger  acids,  on  account  of  its  solubility  in 
water. 
The  alcoholic  solution  of  the  hard  resin  (Rhodeoretine)  treated 
with  chlorohydric  acid  changes  the  resin  into  a  liquid  substance 
called  "  Rhodeoretinol  "  having  the  formula  C30  H23  04«  In  the 
reaction  glucose  is  also  formed.  Rhodeoretinic  acid  gives  the 
same  result  with  chlorohydric  acid. — (Pelouze  and  Fremy.) 
There  exists  in  commerce  another  species  of  jalap  (?)  which 
affords  a  resin  particularly  acid,  soluble  in  ether,  inodorous,  in- 
sipid, brittle  and  fusible.  This  resin  has  received  the  name  of 
para-rhodeoretine,  and  has  for  its  formula  C42  H34  01S  (Pe- 
louze &  Fremy.) 
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